


thin line

by alphai



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Selectively Mute Guardian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 17:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18878158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphai/pseuds/alphai
Summary: Every day, the list grows longer.





	thin line

**Author's Note:**

> i didnt know how to finish this but i wanted to just get it out there to prove im still alive lmao

Orion could have asked for any living quarters in the city. The most extravagant penthouse or the biggest mansion would have been his at the drop of a hat. After all, he was  _ the _ guardian. The one who survived a swift kick in the ribs from Ghaul and the drop from a few thousand feet that followed it. He found his Ghost, then found the shard of the Traveler that allowed thousands more guardians to regain their powers and take down the army that had threatened to extinguish the Earth's last line of defense.

So it was a mystery to anyone why he chose to spend his days after the war in a small studio apartment, surrounded by kitschy storefronts and potted plants.

He never offered a detailed explanation, or much other conversation for that matter. Orion Zihl rarely spoke. When he did, it was hesitant and usually monosyllabic, like he was struggling to get the words out. His Ghost explained to anyone who dared to ask that Orion simply preferred to stay silent. There was no physical issue, no greater trauma, he just didn't like to talk. Really, he had no need to when there was a Ghost following him at all times who could speak for him.

That Ghost was the one to wake him up at three in the morning, hovering and blinking its light over his face until his eyes jolted open and he sat up gasping for air.

"I detected a spike in your vitals while you were sleeping," Rigel said, circling around Orion. "Increased adrenaline, heart rate…you were having a nightmare again. Was it the same one as last time?"

Orion shook his head, azure hair falling over his face. His dreams were more vivid than most, one of the 'perks' of being Awoken. His nightmares in particular seemed to alternate between a variety of different scenarios, though most of them involved falling off of a command ship.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rigel asked. "Not literally, if you can't right now."

He raised his hands slightly, noticing how much they were shaking. His Ghost had used projections to teach him how to sign what he needed to say when verbal speaking was too much for him, but it seemed signing would be impossible now.

Noticing this, Rigel lowered itself into Orion's open palms, settling down and looking up at him.

"It's okay, I think I can guess what it was," it said. "Well, maybe. You and I have been through a lot."

Orion smiled weakly. "We have."

"But I won't lose you again," Rigel added, making as serious of a face as it could through its shell. "I already knew I wasn't going to let that happen after the Tower fell, but after what happened with Cayde, I—"

Rigel trailed off when it saw the way Orion's face fell, felt the way his hands tightened around it slightly.

"Oh. Your dream was about him, wasn't it?"

Orion nodded.

"You know it wasn't your fault, right?"

"I do."

"And what Petra did—"

"She had to."

Orion was usually smiling. Some found it unnerving, while others found it encouraging and comforting. His Ghost was the only one who was able to see him in this state; somber and guilty and full of worry. The slight glow from his orange eyes faded as be closed them again, leaning down and holding his Ghost closer.

"She had to," Orion repeated, softer than before. "Not…not just for Cayde."

Rigel stirred slightly in his hands, the best it could do in place of hugging him back.

"I understand why you want to keep helping her," it said. "This isn't just about Uldren anymore. You're Awoken too, you feel like it's your fight as much as Petra's."

Rigel lifted itself out of Orion's hands, hovering at his eye level.

"Because of you, there are countless guardians with their light back who are more than willing to do this," it continued. "You don't have to take this on by yourself."

There was a long moment of silence where Orion tried to bring himself back down to Earth, listening to the sounds of the nightlife outside his window in the distance, the rustle of wind, the dull humming of the Traveler that most guardians learned to tune out when they were this close to it. The white noise was that calmed him down, and it was an ulterior motive for living in an urban area such as this one.

"You…know you don't actually need to sleep, right?" Rigel said gently. "I mean, physically. Your body doesn't need REM sleep in order to function. I understand why some guardians find comfort in doing so, but if it's causing you this much stress, there's no harm in staying awake."

Orion shook his head again. "I like it. It's a reset."

"Sure, but…" Rigel's eye darted around the room, as though it was nervously avoiding looking at its guardian. "It's still eight hours of unconsciousness. And with all the things you end up doing while you're awake, it would make more sense tactically to skip out on your circadian rhythm entirely and just—"

"You miss me." Orion grinned at his ghost.

"What?" Rigel jumped a bit in mid-air, the light in the center of its eye glowing a little brighter as if it was blushing. "No, I just mean from a time management standpoint—"

"You miss me when I sleep," Orion repeated, grinning wider so the smile reached his eyes.

Rigel did its equivalent of glaring at him. Situations like this made Orion want to take out two strips of colored tape and stick them onto Rigel's shell to mimic eyebrows, just like Ana had managed to covertly do once the last time they were on Mars together. Orion had tried to keep his snickering contained, but Rigel was familiar enough with its guardian's emotional range to know it was being laughed at, look in the reflection of a window, and demand for someone to take the tape off. Guardians love their Ghosts, but the possibilities of how to annoy something with no limbs are endless.

"Well, you're awake now, so it doesn't matter," Rigel finally decided on, circling around Orion again and lightly nudging him in the back of the head. "Get up. Sunrise is in another hour and thirty seven minutes."

Orion nodded, finding this was the end of his conversational skills for the time being. Following his Ghost's instructions, he climbed out of bed and got dressed in some of his more comfortable civilian clothing. Rigel darted around the room, turning on the various appliances it knew were integral to its guardian's morning routine; tea kettle, lights, news reels, the works. Stretching and yawning, Orion made his way over to the small table in the kitchen and sat down, waiting for the water on the stove to boil as he scrolled through the news from last night.

"I could just tell you the important details," Rigel added over his shoulder. "New crucible rankings, reports from Osiris about more anomalies on Mercury, some...less coherent rumors about whatever Drifter is trying to do this time."

Orion looked at his ghost and gave it a look, signing ' _ I like to read it. _ '

"Fine, fine…" Rigel remotely switched off the burner when it heard the kettle starting to whistle faintly, knowing Orion never let it get to a very intense boiling point just to avoid the noise. "I'm only the thing that regularly brings you back from the dead, keeps track of your day planners, and wakes you up when you're having nightmares, but sure, draw the line at me reading for you."

Grinning as he got up to brew his tea, Orion gave Rigel a brief pat on the top of its shell before signing ' _ You know you love me. _ '

He heard Rigel scoff slightly. "Of course I do. It keeps me sane."


End file.
